


Time of Our Lives

by CW_doesnt_deserve_rights



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Canon - Book, Canon Compliant, He's also a rat, I love my boys, I was having a lot of thoughts and this happend, I'm also having Marauders feels, Im having Wolfstar feels, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Peter Pettigrew is dick, Post-Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Sad Remus Lupin, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:13:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24374080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CW_doesnt_deserve_rights/pseuds/CW_doesnt_deserve_rights
Summary: In Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry is caught with the Marauders Map, Remus Lupin has an emotional reunion with the map.The distinct red font was still visible, and even from his distance, he could make out the familiar words Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. His heart leapt and hammered against his ribs, if it weren’t for Severus’s insufferable glare he would have probably collapsed in a fit of laughter.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Kudos: 60





	Time of Our Lives

**Author's Note:**

> I use the exact dialogue from the book, Prisoner of Azkaban. The beginning dialogue is not mine, rights go to J.K. Rowling.

Remus sat in a plush chair beside the fire and student’s papers were piled on his lap, waiting to be read. The fire sparked, breaking his concentration, and Severus’s ever so unpleasant voice roared through the flames. “Lupin! I want a word!” If Remus’s eyes could roll into the back of his head they would have. Heavily sighing, he placed his papers beside him and picked up a handful of flu powder. 

“You called, Severus?” Harry was beside Severus seemingly slightly panicked. 

“I certainly did,” Severus’s face was twisted with anger, “I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this.” Snape pointed at the parchment in his hands. The distinct red font was still visible, and even from his distance, he could make out the familiar words _Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot,_ and _Prongs_. His heart leapt and hammered against his ribs, if it weren’t for Severus’s insufferable glare he would have probably collapsed in a fit of laughter. “Well?” Severus’s voice cut through his racing thoughts. Remus kept his expression composed. Only slightly more weathered, the familiar tint of the parchment and various folds were all the same. He couldn’t _believe,_ after _all_ this time? “ _Well?_ ” Severus repeated. “This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?” Remus turned to Severus trying not to look at Harry. Harry’s face was controlled, and his eyes were calculating Remus, trying to find a way out of his situation. _So much like his father,_ he thought, not for the first time. He hoped Harry understood to stay quiet at this moment. He met Severus’s accusing glare.

“Full of Dark Magic?” he questioned, only in a slightly mocking tone. “Do you really think so Severus? It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who reads it. Childish, but surely not dangerous? I imagine Harry got it from a joke shop —” The lies rolled off his tongue just as easily as they had done as a young man. This was a _thrilling_ turn of events. “Indeed?” said Snape, his anger rolled off of him towards Remus. This was just _too fun_ , if only Sirius could see this now!

“You think a joke shop could supply him with such a thing? You don’t think it more likely that he got it _directly from the manufacturers_ ?” Severus was seething. _Oh Snivilus, Snivilus, Snivilus, you really should have learned to keep your nose out things that don’t concern you_ ; the voice in Remus’s head sounded suspiciously like a certain beautiful long-haired boy. Harry was clearly bewildered by this exchange between his professors which made Remus want to laugh even harder. Remus peered closer at the map. 

_“Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people’s business”_

_“Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape in an ugly git.”_

_“Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that every became a professor”_

_“Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball”_

If it weren’t for his drive to protect Harry at this moment, Remus would have well and truly lost it; as it was he was barely even able to breathe at a normal rate. “You mean, by Mr. Wormtail or one of these people?” he replied to Severus lightly. “Harry, do you know any of these men?” 

“No,” Harry said, not missing a beat. Remus supposed he probably, truly did not know who they were.

“You see, Severus?” he said, turning back to the glowering man. “It looks like a Zonko product to me—” Ron Weasley, at that moment, burst through the door to explain between heavy breaths “Bought — it… in Zonko’s… ages — ago…” Remus could not contain it anymore, his lips cracked into a grin. Always _always_ leave it up to your friends to save your arse. Remus clapped his hands together

“Well! That seems to clear that up! Severus, I’ll take this back, shall I?” He took the map from Severus’s grip and he folded it up, as he had a million times before, and tucked it into the inside pocket of his robes. He gestured to the young boys in front of him, “Harry, Ron, come with me, I need to have a word about my vampire essay — excuse us, Severus —”

He and the boys walked out and when they were a ways away from the potions classroom Harry turned on Remus, trying to explain. “I don’t want to hear explanations,” Lupin said bluntly. He needed to get out of here, he needed to open the map. He lowered his voice, “I happen to know that this map was confiscated by Mr. Filch many years ago. Yes, I know it’s a map.” He didn’t have the time to explain everything to Harry now, he would do that later. “I don’t want to know how it fell into your possession, I am, however, astounded that you didn’t hand it in. Particularly after what happened the last time a student left information about the castle lying around, And I can’t let you have it back, Harry.” Harry seemed already resigned to that and he gave a small shrug but once again, very much like his father, he had to ask questions.

“Why did Snape think I’d got it from the manufacturers?” Harry burst. “Because…” Lupin bit his lip, no, he would pull Harry aside later and explain to him, “because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school, They’d think it extremely entertaining.” Well, that wasn’t a lie per se.

Harry’s brows raised, “Do you know them?”

Lupin bit his tongue, “We’ve met,” he said shortly, he _really_ needed to get out of here. He left Harry and Ron with vague words of caution and danger and quickly made his way to his room once again. 

•••

His wand lay beside the open parchment. He had been staring at the blank map for hours now. He had missed supper in the great hall, and food, courtesy of the house-elves, now lay untouched beside him. He had been so eager to open it but when he had pulled out his wand the words had choked up in the back of his throat. Since then he had been sitting cross-legged in front of the fire unable to tear his gaze from the blank map. The map had been their baby, their legacy. One day their legendary pranks would be forgotten, but this, _The Marauder's Map_ , it was immortal. When Filch had caught them with it, it had broken their hearts but there had always been the hope that someone would find it someday. He did wonder how Harry got his hands on it. When he told Harry the truth about the map he would have to ask him about that. In his mind's eye he could see James grinning, “Just open it will ya? What’s going to happen if you do?” 

“Everything I’ve worked to forget will come back” he replied to James. 

“Oh come off it Moony, you never forgot in the first place. We are unforgettable, we made sure of that!.” 

“Well I’ve tried to!” he sputtered. 

“Just because you tried doesn’t mean you did. Anyways I find it a bit offensive that you even tried.” 

Remus grinned ruefully, “You would.”

“Open it then you twit” 

“ _You’re_ a twit.” 

Fake James snorted and faded away. They never stayed long, as soon as he remembered they weren’t there, they went away. He looked back to the map. James was right, he was being stupid. He picked up his wand again and placed the tip on the parchment. “I solemnly swear I am up to no good” 

The maroon ink bled across the parchment; _Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder’s Map._ The familiarity of it all hit him like a load of bricks just as it had in Severus’s office. He stroked the names scrawled across the paper. He felt his chest tighten and the pit of his stomach went into freefall. His fingers gripped the corners of the creased pages. His eyes grazed over the various hallways of his school. Dumbledore, unsurprisingly, was pacing in his office. Severus was in his classroom, and McGonagal was walking towards Dumbledore's office. Everything was how it should be, it was achingly mundane, like he could sneak out under James’s cloak and plant timed dung bombs in the dungeons at this exact moment. It hurt… it physically pained him. How content they had been, and how utterly naive. 

Watching various student’s movements, he gazed at the map. He could hear James’s laughter in his ear as they ran down the hallway at full tilt escaping the screams of Filch. He could see Padfoot, his Padfoot, beside James casting hexes at various stupid-faced Slytherins and he could see Ol’ Wormy following James and Sirius diligently. He watched the flames in the hearth as memories flashed across his mind. Sirius hugging him when he figured out the last charm for the map, Peter beating him at chess for the hundredth time, James trying to get him to play quidditch, all of the memories he had worked so hard to leave in the past were escaping. He smiled sadly, Hogwarts had been the time of their lives, he wished he could just hear their voices one more time, for real. 

Amongst the barrage of memories, most of all there was Sirus. Sirus’s crooked grin, his slender fingers, his inability to wake up in the morning, his endless dog jokes, and the sweet, dopey smile he had when Remus had hugged him once. His lungs let out a shaky breath and he could feel his fingertips tingling from lack of oxygen; he hadn’t even realised he was holding his breath. His Padfoot, his lovely Padfoot. What would he think of all this? Remus closed his eyes, his mind full of a long-haired beautiful boy with no sense of self-preservation — he was laughing as Remus told him how he happened upon their map. “Harry had it?” Sirus’s voice said disbelievingly. A look of absolute maniac glee was set on the young man’s face, “Of course Harry had it, finding Potters is probably second nature to the bloody map.” Remus re-traced the letters of Padfoot’s name, his lips twitched, “Yes, I suppose so.” 

“Remember when we were planting those fireworks and the map saved our arses?” 

Remus chuckled, “How could I not, we were locked in Filch's closet until James rescued us.” 

“Comfy wasn’t it?” 

Remus felt his face heat, nearly two decades later and that was still a memory worth blushing over. “You could say that.” Lupin blinked, “Are you really going after Harry?”

Sirius’s smile faltered, “I don’t know, am I?” And just like James, his image faded. 

Remus’s eyes stung. Was he crying? _Oh Padfoot, I can not believe that you are bad, not really. I try but… you are my sweet, loving boy, you would never hurt Peter, Lily, or James and least of all Harry!_ He had picked up the map, and he was hugging it to his chest. It may have been the heat of the fire but the little pieces of themselves they had placed into the parchment seemed to reach out to him. His body shook violently. He could distantly hear his own cries as salty tears streamed down his face, dripping from his chin. _It was so unfair! They had been good people with so much love in their hearts! Why did it end like this?_ The tears were falling freely now, just as they had so many years ago, abandoned, and so absolutely alone. A fresh wave of blocked memories surged across his eyelids and a new flood of excruciating and pitiful wails echoed off of stone walls.

The crying didn’t stop for a long time, and the stars shone brightly when he eventually opened his eyes. His eyelids were heavy and his skin stiff with the salty residue of dried tears. He was curled on his side like a child, still clutching the map like his life depended on it. His throat was raw, similarly to after a full moon; he had been screaming hadn’t he? His stiff joints protested as he righted himself. Displaying the map out in front of himself again, he watched students rushing to their dorms before bed. He watched Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas scurry into their room. Harry and Ron were already there, moving about the room. He smiled, all was well with James’s son it seemed, which gave Remus a bit of rest, but only for a moment or so. Another name entered Harry’s room. A name he was all too familiar with, and a name that should _not_ be there, a name of a very dead old friend. The name _Peter Pettigrew._

The Map didn’t lie, it _couldn’t_ lie. There in Harry’s room was Peter Pettigrew. Bile threatened to come up as absolute and utter horror seeped into Remus’s bones. Peter Pettigrew was very much alive, and everything fell into place, making much more sense than it had twelve years ago. His hands shook and his fingers curled around his wand. “Expecto Patronum!” A silver wolf streamed out, dancing around the room and out the open window. “Go. Tell him everything, tell him to make haste, and give him my love.” Remus watched the wolf run across the sky and he closed his eyes. _Please hurry Padfoot._

**Author's Note:**

> I was thinking a few nights ago about what Lupin must have been thinking when he saw the map again and then this kind of just happened. I am in a very Maruaders nostalgic mood so I got pretty emotional writing this. Hope you enjoyed. Penny for your thoughts below?


End file.
